2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Complaints

MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HAS THE POWER STEERING BRIEF FAILURE PROBLEM I READ ABOUT IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. USUALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING MOMENTARILY GIVING ONE A BRIEF MOMENT OF PANIC.

BATTERY CONNECTION CABLES-CABLES WIGGLE LOOSE AND CAR CANNOT BE STARTED. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM HOWEVER, THEY SAY THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX IT.

THE ABS EBCM MODULE ON MY 2001 SUBURBAN WENT OUT. CHEVY DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY. A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX $1100.00 FOR THE MODULE ALONE. *LA

I REPLACED THE GAS TANK ON MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN ON 2 JAN BECAUSE I HAD DETECTED A GAS SMELL. MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DISCOVERED A LEAK IN THE TANK BECAUSE IT HAD SPLIT AT THE MIDPOINT IN THE SIDE OF THE TANK. WHEN I CONTACTED CHEVROLET, THAT SAID THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO SEE THE TANK BECAUSE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED IT INSTEAD OF A CHEVROLET SERVICE FACILITY. MY REASON FOR WRITING IS THAT THE GAS TANK SPLIT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SINCE NOTHING STRUCK THE TANK TO CAUSE THE SPLIT, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS UNUSUAL AND WORTHY OF NOTE. THE ORIGINAL TANK WAS DEFECTIVE, IN MY OPINION.*AK

I TOOK MY 2001 SUBURBAN TO HAVE A STATE INSPECTION DONE AND FOUND THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT HOLDING. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE PARKING BRAKE SHOES WERE WORN ALL THE WAY DOWN AND BOTH ROTORS NEEDED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THEY WERE RUSTED INSIDE AND THE PARKING BAKE SHOES WOULD NOT HOLD. I ONLY HAVE 37000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS ONLY WILLING TO SPLIT THE COST OF THE ROTORS AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE ROTORS EVEN THOUGH THE PARKING BAKE WORE OUT AFTER ONLY 37000 MILES OR EVEN LESS. THE DEALER REPORTED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 37000 MILES. I AM THE ONLY PERSON WHO DRIVES THIS VEHICLE AND THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NEVER LEFT ON WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS A DEFECT ON THE ENGINEERING OF THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM THAT IT WEARS OUT THIS FAST WITH ONLY BEING USED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED.

I ASKED HUFFINES CHEVROLET [PLANO, TX] TO CHECK MY 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN AS THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT HOLDING. THE PEDAL WOULD DEPRESS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL. THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE HAD CAUSED PREMATURE WEAR ON THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE RESULT OF THE BODY STYLE CHANGE IN 2000. THE NEW DESIGN OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PLACED IT IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTORS WHICH CAUSES PREMATURE WEAR. THIS IS NOT A REPAIR THAT IS COVERED UNDER THE 36 MONTH/36,000 MILE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY. DESPITE THAT, THE DEALER REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS AT NO CHARGE. I AM STILL NOT CLEAR AS TO WHY, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE INCURRED THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIR IF THE VEHICLE HAS OVER 30,000 MILES. I'M LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ITEM, THAT DUE TO THE NUMBER OF REPORTED OCCURRENCES, THAT GM IS REPAIRING UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 30,000 MILES. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE IN THAT I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THEM AT 29,700 MILES. AS A SIDE NOTE, I WILL POINT OUT THAT WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM HUFFINES CHEVROLET, THE PARKING PEDAL WOULD DEPRESS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. MY WIFE AND I BOTH FOUND THAT TO BE ODD. WE ALWAYS USE THE PARKING BRAKE AND WE NEVER HAD ONE OPERATE IN THAT FASHION. BUT THE DEALER SAID THAT WAS NORMAL AND THAT BRAKE WAS HOLDING THE VEHICLE. THE EXISTENCE OF A POTENTIAL EMERGENCY BRAKE MECHANISM DEFECT IS A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CASE FOR ALL OWNERS OF THE 2000-2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. MANY HOUSEHOLDS OWN AND OPERATE THESE VEHICLES AND SUCH A DEFECT PUTS OUR WIVES AND CHILDREN AT RISK. I RECOMMEND, WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE, THAT NHTSA CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE. *AK

THE CONSUMER HEARD A MOTOR RUNNING. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE ABS MOTOR. THIS OCCURRED WHILE KEY WAS IN "OFF" POSITION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE ABS MOTOR AND MODULE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, ANOTHER MOTORIST FAILED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND THE CONSUMER HIT HIM ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *SC *JB

I HAD TO REPLACE TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE AT 29,000 MILES TO DUE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES. THESE TIRES HAD BEEN ROTATED AND BALANCED EVERY 4,000 MILES. I ASSUMED THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED POORLY.*AK WELL AFTER REPLACING THE ORIGINAL TIRES WITH GOODYEAR TIRES, I HAVE AGAIN HAD PROBLEMS WITH TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. I HAD A GOODYEAR SERVICE TECHNICIAN INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AND WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED THE INNER TIE ROD ASSEMBLY WAS VERY LOOSE. THE INNER TIE ROD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. THIS CAN CAUSE INSTABILITY IN VEHICLE CONTROL RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A PROBLEM. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED SPECIFICALLY DOES NOT COVER THIS ITEM. I OBTAINED A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT INDICATES THESE PARTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED QUITE FREQUENTLY. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE SERVICE FROM CHEVROLET AND THE ANSWERS GIVEN TO ME BY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I SAW THE INNER TIE ROD CONNECTION WITH MY OWN EYES AND IMMEDIATELY COULD TELL THERE WAS AN ISSUE. VERY CURIOUS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY ISSUES WITH TIRES AND STERRING ON THESE VEHICLES AND NOW I SEE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TIE ROD. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD WARRANT SOME INVESTIGATION.

THE REAR HATCH WAS MADE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL,AND WAS FALLING OFF. DEALER REPLACED HATCHBACK AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK